Windshield wiper blade and a wiping strip with stiffening element therefor

Abstract

A wiping strip, in particular for a windshield wiper blade of an automotive vehicle, comprises a wiping lip and at least one stiffening element for stiffening the lip. The wiping lip and the stiffening element are secured together by clipping one within the other, by means of mutual interengaging means which are provided between the wiping lip and the stiffening element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wiper blade assembly including an elongated wiping lip (2) comprising a base portion (4) having an upper horizontal face (5) and a lower horizontal face (6) joined by a pair of vertical faces (7, 8), a pair of opposed cavities (9) in said vertical face for receiving a supporting structure, a flexible neck (10) connected to said lower face, a wiping friction element (11) for engaging a surface to be wiped connected to said neck for pivotal motion with respect to said base, and a stiffening element (3) coextensively mounted to and lying in contact with said upper horizontal face of said base, and means securing said stiffening element to said base, said securing means comprising a longitudinal groove (12) in said base and a rib (16) depending from said stiffening element, said rib being frictionally received in said groove whereby lateral flexing of said wiping lip is prevented by paid stiffening element. 
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said groove and said rib each have the cross sectional shape of an arrowhead. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said stiffening element comprises an upper horizontal face (19), a lower horizontal face (20) and a pair of vertical faces (21, 22), said rib extending from a medial portion of said lower horizontal face. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of claim 3 including a separate reinforcing element bonded to a medial portion of said upper horizontal face. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said reinforcing element and said rib lie on the symmetrical axis of said wiper strip. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of claim 3 including a plurality of detent means (25) integrally formed in opposed relationship on said vertical faces of said stiffening element, each said detent means comprising a pair of spaced triangular shaped projections (26, 27) defining a locating space (32) therebetween. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of claim 6 including at least one mounting yoke (24) at opposite ends thereof, said mounting yoke including gripping tabs engaging the opposed cavities (9) in said base, and upon sliding motion of said wiper strip, said gripping tabs mounting yoke including gripping tabs are expanded by said projections (26, 27) serving as ramps to be indexed in said spaces (32). 
     
     
       8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said cavities (9) lie wholly within base (4). m